~Chapter 35~
On the first evening after leaving the Blumhardt estate, Leah and Harry stopped to rest for the night in a city called Koblenz, just outside the capital.
All the travel expenses for their trip to the North were being covered by House Blumhardt.
So, the inn they stayed at was the kind of fancy place usually used by nobles or rich merchants.
The place looked luxurious and was spotless both inside and out.
And the dinner they were served—hot meat stew and warm, buttered bread—was absolutely delicious.
Leah couldn’t help but smile as she ate.
“…Lady Raphaella looks so much like His Grace that I honestly thought the Duke had turned into a little girl.”
Harry said while sipping wine from across the table.
“Sir Harry, you’re not really like the knights I imagined.”
“I come off a bit casual, right? People say I’d be decent enough… if only I kept my mouth shut.”
“No, I didn’t mean it that way,” Leah replied, laughing and shaking her head.
“I just always thought knights were scary and intimidating.”
“You mean like His Grace?”
“Exactly. Like the Duke.”
Even though her words would have sounded rude, Harry just laughed and played along, which made Leah smile.
Back when she started living at the duke’s estate, just seeing knights in uniform from afar made her flinch.
Now she only jumped a little, but as a child, she used to have nightmares about scary knights chasing her.
I’d always run to Grandma crying on nights like that, she remembered.
Even though she lived in a remote mountain village and never saw knights in person, she’d thought of them as scary for as long as she could remember.
It was strange—none of the fairy tales she read as a child had bad knights.
“But seeing you, Sir Harry, makes me think I might’ve had the wrong idea.”
“Well, I’m glad my silly attitude helped even a little.”
Harry jokingly gave a formal salute, which made her laugh again.
“There are some knights who look scary, but most of them are probably softies inside. No need to be afraid.”
“Yeah… I don’t think I’ll be scared like before.”
Harry’s cheerful personality made the dinner really comfortable for her.
After they finished eating, she said goodnight and headed back to her room.
Before bed, she soaked in a warm tub in the inn’s bathroom.
It wasn’t like the first day of travel had been tiring or anything, but soaking in hot water felt amazing.
Afterwards, she slipped into her pajamas and laid down on the neatly made bed.
A whole day without Raphaella…
The space beside her felt strangely empty.
Even more than her memory-lost husband’s absence, it was her sweet daughter’s absence that hit her hardest.
She worried Raphaella might feel lonely too.
Is she already asleep by now? I wonder if he did what I told him to.
She chuckled at the thought of her stiff, serious husband sitting by their daughter’s bed, reading her a story.
In the past, it had been a normal thing for him, but now that he was the strict “Duke of Blumhart,” the image just seemed kind of funny.
But if he really did it, Raphaella would’ve loved it.
Before he lost his memory, he always used to read her bedtime stories.
Thinking of her daughter made it hard for Leah to sleep, so she fiddled with the bracelet Raphaella had given her… and eventually, she drifted off.
—
Because she’d gone to bed late worrying and thinking about Raphaella, Leah didn’t wake up until bright morning sunlight hit her face.
…What time is it?
She looked at the clock on the nightstand and shot up in a panic.
“It’s already past 8…!”
She quickly washed up, changed clothes, and ran downstairs to the dining hall.
“Sir Harry, I’m so sorry I’m late!”
“No worries at all.”
She felt extra bad because Harry had gotten up early and hadn’t even eaten yet, waiting for her.
They ate breakfast quickly together, and with his help, she climbed into the carriage.
“Lady Leah, don’t worry. We’re not running that late.”
Harry’s calm voice reassured her as he set off toward their next destination.
—
Meanwhile, Johann had breakfast with Raphaella that morning.
He was worried it might feel awkward, since it was their first meal without Leah—but surprisingly, everything felt fine.
Maybe it’s because I read her that bedtime story yesterday.
Seeing his daughter behave just like usual even without her mom there made him feel relieved.
“Goodbye!”
Raphaella waved to him while holding Helen’s hand as he left for the palace.
Honestly, he wanted to stay and work from home today.
But with a noble meeting and work that needed palace documents, he had no choice but to go.
When he looked back and saw Raphaella waving goodbye with her tiny hand in the maid’s, something tugged at his chest.
Back when I signed that contract, I never thought I’d feel something like this.
He felt affectionate… and a little guilty.
Leaving her behind like this kind of bothers me.
Even if others were taking care of her,
she’d still be without her parents.
Is this what it feels like to be a parent?
He shook his head and ordered the carriage to move.
“Samuel, is it normal for parents to keep thinking about their kid like this?”
“…Probably,” Samuel replied, scratching his head. He wasn’t even married yet, let alone a dad.
As soon as they arrived at the palace, Johann headed straight into a four-hour-long noble meeting.
The rest of the day was jam-packed with work.
He grabbed quick meals like sandwiches and only got back into his carriage to return home late in the evening.
“Ugh, I’m so tired.”
He sank into the soft seat with a sigh.
“Did Raphaella have a good day?”
“Yes, sir. According to the servant who checked on her, she spent time with Lady Penelope and got along well with the maids.”
To make sure nothing went wrong like last time, Johann had ordered trusted staff to give him regular updates while he was away.
Today, he’d been too busy, so Samuel had taken the report instead.
“That’s good to hear.”
“Yes. I was also worried Lady Raphaella might be upset without Lady Leah, so it’s a big relief.”
Samuel was also concerned about the little girl, so he was just as relieved.
When Johann returned home, despite being exhausted, he washed up quickly and went to see Raphaella.
“Raphaella, you’re still awake?”
“She insisted on waiting for you, sir,” Pola answered on her behalf.
“…You stayed up just to see me?”
Johann asked, surprised.
“I had to say goodnight.”
Raphaella gave him a little wave.
Her eyes looked a little sad, which made his heart ache.
“I see… But next time, don’t wait, okay? Little kids should go to bed early.”
“…Okay.”
She nodded, and Johann gently patted her head and told her to sleep well.
Since it was already late, he didn’t read her a story this time—he just left.
He felt relieved that their second day without Leah had passed peacefully.
—
But even though he was exhausted, Johann couldn’t sleep.
It was nearly morning by the time he finally got a couple hours of rest.
Still tired but unable to sleep any longer, he got up.
Guess I’ll go train a bit in the sparring yard.
After a quick workout, he came back, took a shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and headed to the dining room to eat breakfast with Raphaella.
He got there a bit early and read the morning paper while waiting for her.
What time is it now?
He lowered the newspaper and asked a servant nearby.
“It’s past 8:10, sir.”
They usually had breakfast together by 8. He hadn’t realized how much time had passed.
Did she sleep in because she stayed up late last night?
He hoped the maids hadn’t woken her up just for breakfast.
I should tell them to let her sleep in if she’s tired.
Just as he was about to send a servant to check, there was a sudden knock at the dining room door.
“Your Grace, it’s Pola!”
It was the maid in charge of Raphaella while Leah was gone.
“Come in.”
She entered, slightly out of breath from running all the way there.
“Is Raphaella still asleep?”
“Um, not exactly… The young lady has a really high fever…”
“What?”
Johann pushed his chair back and jumped to his feet.
